Bucharest - The Real "Paris of the East", Bucharest, Romania
Bucharest was the last place on our itinerary in Romania, right before heading more east - to the mysterious and least visited capital in Europe - Chisinau (soon I'll write a post about it). Unfortunately, this time we didn't have a chance to make it to the Romania's Black Sea coast and the resort city - Constanta, although we initially had planned to do so.
Having visited somehow fairy tale-like scenery of the medieval towns in Transylvania, Bucharest seemed a lot pretty bleak at first. More rough, grey and heavy. Hundreds of concrete blocks everywhere, the overall landscape filled with brutalist architecture. But there is one place in Bucharest that lets you escape the gloomy, communist atmosphere - the Old Town. And this Old Town is pretty special. Many cities have been called the "Paris of the East". However, Bucharest Old Town is the only one that truly reminds of the French capital the most, in my opinion.
After a long way from Transylvania, we entered Bucharest at night. The city looks somehow cozier and more friendly after dark than it did the next morning. There was also one thing that stood out and grabbed my attention. Apart from the ubiquitous concrete blocks, there were beautiful villas squeezed here and there in between the hideous, heavy constructions. Those mansions reflected various architectural styles - from European - typical of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire to more of the oriental design and even, at times they revealed an Ottoman touch.聽If they were all cut out of this chaotic landscape and put side by side together, they would create a beautiful, elegant district. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).
Having visited somehow fairy tale-like scenery of the medieval towns in Transylvania, Bucharest seemed a lot pretty bleak at first. More rough, grey and heavy. Hundreds of concrete blocks everywhere, the overall landscape filled with brutalist architecture. But there is one place in Bucharest that lets you escape the gloomy, communist atmosphere - the Old Town. And this Old Town is pretty special. Many cities have been called the "Paris of the East". However, Bucharest Old Town is the only one that truly reminds of the French capital the most, in my opinion.
After a long way from Transylvania, we entered Bucharest at night. The city looks somehow cozier and more friendly after dark than it did the next morning. There was also one thing that stood out and grabbed my attention. Apart from the ubiquitous concrete blocks, there were beautiful villas squeezed here and there in between the hideous, heavy constructions. Those mansions reflected various architectural styles - from European - typical of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire to more of the oriental design and even, at times they revealed an Ottoman touch.聽If they were all cut out of this chaotic landscape and put side by side together, they would create a beautiful, elegant district. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).
How it works: The full article is featured in the app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" on Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Download the app to your mobile device to read the article offline and create a self-guided walking tour to visit the sights featured in this article. The app's navigation functions guide you from one sight to the next. The app works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The 51爆料网 App
Sights Featured in This Article
Guide Name: Bucharest - The Real "Paris of the East"
Guide Location: Romania » Bucharest
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (B))
Author: Tomasz Lisowski
Read it on Author's Website:
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:
Guide Location: Romania » Bucharest
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (B))
Author: Tomasz Lisowski
Read it on Author's Website:
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:
- Palace of the Parliament
- Stavropoleos Monastery
- CEC Palace
- Pasaj Macca-Villacrosse
- National Bank of Romania
- National Museum of Romania
- Curtea Veche
- Annunciation Church of Saint Anthony
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
16 Uniquely Romanian Things To Buy in Bucharest
Nicknamed "Little Paris", today's Bucharest is the capital of a vibrant European nation, known as Romania, with lots of history and great cultural heritage - spanning from centuries-old rural traditions to New Wave cinema. Keen on rustic stuff, Romanians carefully preserve their...
The Most Popular Cities
/ view all